In optical communications networks, optoelectronic modules are used to transmit and/or receive optical signals over optical fibers. The optoelectronic module may be configured as an optical transmitter that transmits optical signals, an optical receiver that receives optical signals, or an optical transceiver that transmits and receives optical signals. On the transmit side of an optical transmitter or transceiver module, a light source (e.g., a laser diode) generates amplitude modulated optical signals that represent data, which are optically coupled by an optics system of the module into an end of a transmit optical fiber. The signals are then transmitted over the transmit fiber to a receiver node of the network. On the receive side of an optical receiver or transceiver module, an optics system of the module receives optical signals output from an end of a receive optical fiber and focuses the optical signals onto an optical detector (e.g., a photodiode), which converts the optical energy into electrical energy.
The transmit and receive fiber cables have connectors on their ends, often LC connectors, that are adapted to mate with transmit and receive receptacles, respectively, formed in an optoelectronic module. A variety of optoelectronic module configurations are used in optical communications networks. Some optoelectronic modules have a single receive receptacle and a single transmit receptacle arranged side by side for connecting a single receive fiber cable and a single transmit fiber cable, respectively, to the optoelectronic module. Oftentimes, the optoelectronic module is configured to be inserted into a cage. In such cases, locking features on the cage and on the optoelectronic module interlock the module with the cage. Generally, the locking features include a latch that protrudes from the optoelectronic module and a tongue on the cage having an opening formed therein for receiving the latch.
FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective bottom view of an optoelectronic module 2 partially inserted into a cage 6. FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective bottom view of the optoelectronic module 2 shown in FIG. 1A after the optoelectronic module 2 has been fully inserted into the cage 6. The optoelectronic module 2 has first and second receptacles 3a and 3b formed therein for receiving respective connectors (not shown) located on ends of transmit and receive optical fibers (not shown), respectively. The optoelectronic module 2 has a latch 4 thereon that operates as one of the aforementioned locking features. The cage 6 has a tongue 7 thereon that has an opening 7a formed therein that is shaped to receive the latch 4 disposed on the optoelectronic module 2. When the optoelectronic module 2 is fully inserted into the cage 6, as shown in FIG. 1B, the latch 4 mates with the opening 7a to lock the optoelectronic module 2 to the cage 6.
Optoelectronic modules of the type shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B sometimes have a bail (not shown) that acts as a delatch mechanism to retract the latch 4 from the opening 7a formed in the tongue 7. In such configurations, when a user moves the bail to a delatching position, the latch 4, which is mechanically linked to the bail (not shown), retracts from the opening 7a formed in the tongue 7 allowing the module 2 to be removed from the cage 6. Optoelectronic modules of the type shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B that do not include a bail delatching mechanism are typically extracted from the cage using a module removal tool, as will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a known module removal tool 11 that may be used to remove the optoelectronic module 2 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B from the cage 6 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The tool 11 has a handle 14 that has a proximal end 14a and a distal end 14b. The distal end 14b of the handle 14 has a delatching mechanism 14c thereon that projects upwardly and outwardly away from the distal end 14b. A mock LC connector portion 13 is disposed on the distal end 14b of the handle 14. The mock LC connector portion 13 has delatching mechanisms 15a and 15b thereon, which are described below in more detail with reference to FIG. 3. The delatching mechanism 14c disposed on the distal end 14b of the handle 14 is positioned to depress the delatching mechanisms 15a and 15b of the mock LC connector portion 13 when a force is exerted on the delatching mechanism 14c in a direction toward the mock LC connector portion 13.
FIG. 3 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the cage 6 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B with the mock LC connector portion 13 of the tool 11 shown in FIG. 2 partially inserted therein. For clarity, the optoelectronic module 2 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B is not shown in FIG. 3. The mock LC connector portion 13 of the module removal tool 11 is shaped and sized to fit within and mate with the receptacles 3a and 3b of the optoelectronic module 2 in the same way that an actual LC connector pair would fit within and mate with the receptacles 3a and 3b of the optoelectronic module 2. The actual LC connector pair (not shown) that would normally be connected to the receptacles 3a and 3b for operations have been removed to enable the tool 11 to be used to extract the module 2 from the cage 6.
A tongue actuator 17 disposed on the lower portion of the handle 14 of the tool 11 has a proximal end 17a and a distal end 17b. The distal end 17b of the tongue actuator 17 has a ramped bottom surface 17c and a substantially flat top surface 17d (FIG. 2). The ramped bottom surface 17c is at an angle to the substantially flat top surface 17d. When the distal end 17b of the module removal tool 11 is inserted into the cage 12 in the direction indicated by arrow 21 such that ramped bottom surface 17c comes into contact with the tongue 7 of the cage 6, the distal end 17b of the tongue actuator 17 deflects the tongue 7 in the downward direction, thereby causing the latch 4 of the optoelectronic module 2 to disengage from the opening 7a (FIG. 1B) formed in the tongue 7. When the tool 11 is in this position, mating features 15a′ and 15b′ (FIG. 2) on the delatching mechanisms 15a and 15b, respectively, are mated with corresponding mating features (not shown) inside of the receptacles 3a and 3b to cause the mock LC connector portion 13 to be interlocked with the optoelectronic module 2. In this interlocked position, the optoelectronic module 2 may be removed from the cage 6 by exerting a force on the handle 14 in a direction that is generally opposite to the direction indicated by arrow 21.
Although the module removal tool 11 is an effective mechanism for extracting optoelectronic modules from cages, the tool 11 is generally limited to use with cage/module assemblies in which there is a particular distance between an optical reference plane 25 (FIG. 3) and a mechanical actuation plane 26 (FIG. 3). The optical axes of the mock LC connector portion 13 define the optical reference plane 25, which also corresponds to the optical reference plane of the optoelectronic module 2 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The flat top surface 17d of the tongue actuator 17 defines the mechanical actuation plane 26, which is also the plane in which the bottom surface of the cage 6 lies. The optical reference plane 25 and the mechanical actuation plane 26 are parallel to one another and separated by a particular distance, d. The module removal tool 11 will not work well, or at all, in cases where the distance d is not equal to the distance between the bottom surface of the cage 6 and the optical reference plane 25. Consequently, the module removal tool 11 is very limited with respect to the types of cage/module assemblies with which the module removal tool 11 will work effectively.
Optoelectronic modules and cages are made in a variety of configurations by a variety of vendors. In these various configurations, the distance between the optical reference plane and the bottom surface of the cage may also vary. Of course, for reasons described above, a module removal tool such as that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 may not work properly with these different configurations. It would be desirable to provide a way to enable a module removal tool to be used effectively with optoelectronic modules and cages of various configurations.